It felt familiar to Philip Rivers, like a reenactment to a movie he’d seen before.

A horror show.

The way the Panthers jumped all over the Chargers on Sunday reminded the quarterback of a 2014 loss in Miami, the franchise’s worst shutout defeat in nearly four decades. The way he was twice strip-sacked reminded him of the last time he faced Carolina, a 2012 blowout loss at Qualcomm Stadium.

He knew this movie.

He recalled its ending.

So, rather than see it again, he decided to rewrite the script, even if the manner in which he did made him an easy villain to cast Monday morning.

“Right, wrong or indifferent,” Rivers said.

Not once this season had the 11-time team captain walked off a field and acknowledged that he forced passes because of situation. On Sunday, he did. He threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles and sure, pressed some. But in part to a refusal to go quietly, the Chargers kept a 28-16 loss to the Panthers tighter than it probably should have been.

This easily could’ve been the bloodbath film Rivers spotted it to be.

Running back Melvin Gordon (hip) was carted off in the first quarter.

Defensive end Joey Bosa (neck) exited in the second and did not return.

Carolina scored on five of its first six possessions to lead 23-0 late in the second quarter, a point of the game at which the Chargers had 42 yards and three turnovers on 23 offensive plays. On their most recent play, rookie running back Kenneth Farrow allowed a strip-sack in protection that the Panthers recovered and converted to a field goal.

Then, Rivers and the defense almost made this a game.

It took some gambling from the former.

“There probably were times where I tried to do a little too much today,” said Rivers, who was sacked five times and hit more. “That hadn’t been the case in previous games. I know better than that, but at the same time, I don’t want to stand back there and throw balls away and get beat 35-3. It just felt like that was the way it was going, and again, that is no excuse to make some bad mistakes and bad turnovers. But it was a couple decisions I made.”

One came early.

He threw a deep, second-quarter pass to wide receiver Tyrell Williams down the left sideline. The intercepted throw was poor for a couple reasons: The ball was placed too far inside, Rivers said, not leaving Williams much a chance to jump and get it; and, it also came on second-and-7, so the team didn’t need it, even while down 10-0.

There also is the scouting report.

Williams is a different receiver than, say, Malcom Floyd who has a track record for scaling up and pulling down such shots with consistency. The second-year pro hasn’t developed that proven knack yet. So, Rivers was asking a lot.

His second and third interceptions both came in the fourth quarter, the latter a fourth-and-10 pass that traveled 52 yards. Williams was the nearest receiver, but the play was the dive bar equivalent to a blindfolded dart throw after five Sculpin IPAs. While it probably wasn’t going to work, it just seemed necessary to try.

Rivers was sacked for a safety in the fourth quarter.

On that play, many Chargers fans were aghast watching him scan the field and roll right and scan the field further when no play was there, waiting and waiting for a receiver to come open before Panthers defensive end Mario Addison sacked him in the back of the end zone.

Not all script rewrites are perfect.

But this was Rivers trying. The safety probably wasn’t the worst outcome, either, on a day Drew Kaser punted three times for a 34.7 net yard average.

From down 23-0, the Chargers capped the afternoon on a 16-5 run. It could’ve been more. The defense mostly shut down Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who completed just 10 of 27 throws for 160 yards. Carolina was held scoreless on its final five possessions. For all the positives defensively, though, the group flirted with that one game-changing play that didn’t come.

Cornerback Trovon Reed intercepted a fourth-quarter pass, but its 100-yard return for a touchdown was overturned on officials’ review; he was determined to have been down on contact before the return. Safety Jahleel Addae had an interception overturned on review. Cornerback Casey Hayward and, once, even defensive end Corey Liuget had their hands on at least one football but were unable to record an interception.

And so, the Chargers lost.

This leaves Rivers an easy antagonist.

The team did avoid another 37-0 Miami meltdown or another 31-7 beating to Carolina. Yet as the script reads now, Rivers committed five turnovers in his first game since turning 35 on Thursday. He has 17 interceptions this season. Eight have come in a game’s fourth quarter. Seven of the eight have come in the past four games. All seven occurred in the Chargers’ three losses during that span.

An NFL-high 30 team turnovers this season is unacceptable, the Chargers know.

“We have to eliminate them,” coach Mike McCoy said.

But there also is the price of attempting to stay competitive with an injury-ravaged roster. This game would’ve become competitive if Reed’s return was upheld. A touchdown would have cut the deficit to 26-23 with 11 minutes left.

“I think in certain times, you are trying to make a play, take a shot downfield whether it was called to see certain things and certain situations,” McCoy said of the interceptions. “Being down a couple scores, you’re trying to make some big plays at times. I will watch the film and evaluate each decision on the way home.”

There will be plenty of bad on film.

The Chargers, though, have seen worse. Rivers remembers.

CAPTION

In the first round of the Super Bowl tournament, the four AFC teams all turned in sloppy or mediocre work.

In the first round of the Super Bowl tournament, the four AFC teams all turned in sloppy or mediocre work.

CAPTION

In the first round of the Super Bowl tournament, the four AFC teams all turned in sloppy or mediocre work.

In the first round of the Super Bowl tournament, the four AFC teams all turned in sloppy or mediocre work.

CAPTION

Not surprisingly, ratings for Chargers telecasts in San Diego declined in the first season following the team moving to Los Angeles, although they were still higher than other NFL games.

Not surprisingly, ratings for Chargers telecasts in San Diego declined in the first season following the team moving to Los Angeles, although they were still higher than other NFL games.

CAPTION

Chargers lose to Jacksonville Jaguars with a late fumble and an interception in overtime.

Chargers lose to Jacksonville Jaguars with a late fumble and an interception in overtime.

CAPTION

In hindsight, was all that relocation talk a distraction for the Chargers and could it be the same for the Raiders, now? Philip Rivers answers that question as well as how he feels about seeing former defensive coordinator John Pagano.

In hindsight, was all that relocation talk a distraction for the Chargers and could it be the same for the Raiders, now? Philip Rivers answers that question as well as how he feels about seeing former defensive coordinator John Pagano.